Thargoid Scout Hunter Build

[c00ky1970]

https://eddp.co/u/9Ba79u1G

I have an FGS, I want to go shoot Thargoid Scouts and have heard that shields are a bit pointless.

Assuming the Rails are the Guass Cannons and the 2 x size 2 MC's are AX MC Guns, is this a reasonable build?

Can I have 4 x AX and 2 x Guardian wepaons on a ship?

Grateful for hoots of derision or wild gibberings of the insane as well as constructive feedback!

 

[Siranui]

Shields are not at all pointless, but on a FGS build they are better used as a bonus item, rather than your defensive mainstay. I'd go Bi-weave. I personally rely on using shields more than hull tanking Scouts, so shields work just fine.

*looks at ship*. Erm...brave decision there...going shieldless. And a bunch of HRP but no MRPs.
I'd reconsider that: Your drives and modules are going to get melted in pretty short order, I suspect. Personally, I'd run a bi-weave and some MRPs. To my mind you are heavily defensively compromised.

One of the FGS's trump cards in Thargoid encounters is its ability to utilise AX fighters. Possibly consider giving that a go, instead of a HRP?

Guardian and AX weapons both count as experimental, and both count towards the 4-gun limit. So, no: You cannot have 4x AX and 2x Guardian.

Guardian Gauss weapons are size 2.

Remember that Scouts will still fall apart when shot with human weapons, and -aside from the corrosive attacks- don't really pose a particularly unique threat. There is no real need to build a special ship to take them out: You can get away with using your regular bounty hunting ship, so long as you are ok with taking on 4 small vessels at once. It's the larger thargoid stuff which requires more specialised load-outs.

Consider installing some more effective way of deliberately cooking your own ship to get rid of corrosive damage. Twin Gauss weapons won't effectively do the job alone. Maybe rails on the size 1 slots.

 

[The Lawful]

Scouts can be killed by conventional weapons, but AX are more effective. So I converted my FGS to a dedicated Scout killer (I have several other ships to go for the big ones, Gauss is the way to go there) to defend Deneb Algedi. After much experimenting, I run 1x large AX mc turret and 3x medium AX mc turrets now, rest conventional multicannons with OC. Plus an SLF bay with AX Taipans - the fighter pilot doesn't make too many kills on her own, but distracts some of the Scouts during the initial stage where 8 or more fire at you simultaneously. Initially, I also had Gauss cannons fitted, but dropped them, for the Scouts are rather nimble while the FGS is not and fixed weaponry did not work too well for me, in particular with railguns which don't fire instantly. AX turrets are simply more effective (unfortunately, no gimbals available). I would recommend max armour with deep plating and yes, shields are important. I fitted reinforced bi-weaves and those work ok. It's a matter of experimenting, after all. Killed 300+ Scouts last week and about 50 in Capricorni in this one, less than 20 secs per kill.

As has already been said, the worst threat with Scouts is their caustic damage, they can shoot nasty missiles which they seem to do RNG-based and which the FGS cannot reliably evade, and ofc never steer into their death clouds. Turrets have the additional benefit of helping to keep away from them if they are below 10% or so, the FGS can be a little unwieldy. Heat sinks are useful to burn the acid away after a fight, this damages modules, but sometimes is your only choice to get rid of the constant decay otherwise. It should be enough to enable silent running and boosting for some time (DD5).

O7,
[noob]

 

[Hossi]

I would recomend a decon limpet controller, most convenient way to get rid of that pesky caustic effect. Class 1 is perfectls fine, just drop that disco-scanner. Of course you'll need a cargo bay as well, but the 4t you can get out of that second class 2 slot is sufficient.

 

[Vardaugas]

I would recomend a decon limpet controller, most convenient way to get rid of that pesky caustic effect. Class 1 is perfectls fine, just drop that disco-scanner. Of course you'll need a cargo bay as well, but the 4t you can get out of that second class 2 slot is sufficient.

Couldn't you just go silent running and overheat a little to get rid of the caustic effect? Then instead of a decon limpet you could fit a repair limpet and have an overall longer staying power in the field.

 

[Hossi]

Couldn't you just go silent running and overheat a little to get rid of the caustic effect? Then instead of a decon limpet you could fit a repair limpet and have an overall longer staying power in the field.

Sure you can do that, but heating your ship up to 200% will do some serious damage to your modules. That poor modules that are already unprotected by a shield or a single MRP.
Also you have to reboot your shield afterwards. I know this build doesnt have one currently, but as otheres have noted before: Thats not necessarily a good idea.

 

[c00ky1970]

Cheers for the feedback!

I wasnt sure if I should just boost the hull, so I think I will add a Bi-Weave Shield, maybe an AX Fighter bay and share HRP with MRPs as well..

 

[IndigoWyrd]

If you're just hunting sprouts, pretty much anything will do. I've taken out quite a few with a Chieftain and even more with an FdL with no AX or Guardian weapons, or even a Xeno-scanner. Just shoot them until they pop and stay out of the goo. Nothing terribly special or exiciting. Just watch out for the big ones. They're not terribly complicated, but they're quite a bit of effort to take out and the bonds for them rarely cover the repair costs.

 

[Brrokk]

I'm not very experienced with scouts yet, but my early impression is that gimbal weapons are really useful. The scouts dodge about like mad but don't use chaff so gimbals have no downsides, apart from being the "wrong" weapons. But multicannons are OK. I know it's not an expert approach, but I'm not an expert.

 

[Vardaugas]

Well, my idea for a sprout hunter is this FAS. Just theorycrafting, I have no experience with them yet. Probably could survive a tussle with a Cyclops and then run away.

 

[CMDR-AD]

My FGS has been through a variety of weapons. Optional internals are a 6A shield, a Class 6 Dual Fighter Hanger, a Decontamination Limpet Controller, and a 4 ton cargo rack. The rest are all Hull Reinforcements.

Initially I ran a build which was prepared to meet a Cyclops... Class 3 AX Missile, dual Class 2 AX Missile, Class 2 AX Multi-Cannon, Class 2 Remote Flak Launcher. Then two small lasers to round it out. Fighters for my NPC crew are AX Taipan.

Lately I've run all standard gimballed Multi-cannons, and IMO they shred Thargoid Scouts like nothing.

During killing over 100 Scouts, my 600MJ shields have dropped once or twice, and the 3600 hull has been excellent. Carrying the Decontamination Limpets and Controller has been great, as I can clean away the Caustic Substance and then fight again without returning to base for clean-up.

The NPC crew piloting a fighter is probably optional, but I enjoy how having my fighter out serves to break up the focus of the Thargoid Scout furball, adding to my endurance early in the fight.